Former surfing world champion Pam Burridge has ridden waves at some of the world’s best beaches but, when it comes to raising a family, she finds the beach at Mollymook to be the perfect “all-rounder”.

“It’s pretty user-friendly, you’re sheltered from the rough stuff,” Burridge says. “It’s not your hard-core surfer’s favourite, but when you get big swells there are a few reefs like Golf Course Reef, so it caters for everyone.”

A self-described Manly girl “through and through” before she ventured south in the 1990s, Burridge and husband Mark Rabbidge have raised their two children Isobel, 19, and Otis, 17, first in nearby Bendalong and for the past five years in Mollymook.

Former pro surfer Pam Burridge has lived in Mollymook with her family for the past five years. Photo: Supplied

“We love it here,” she says. “I actually walked to work this morning thinking, ‘how lucky am I?’ Everything is nice and close – the beach and coffee shops, the hangs and the surf club.”

Burridge runs a popular surf school teaching locals and holidaymakers how to surf and paddle-board, as well as offering weekend surf retreats.

But the area’s dining scene has also been a drawcard. “We’ve got a couple of world-class restaurants, with Rick Stein’s Bannisters and boutique winery Cupitt’s – it’s quite a cosmopolitan town,” he says.

Burridge says Cupitt’s offers food, wine, growers’ markets and Sunday afternoon live music sessions. She’s also a fan of Tallwood Eatery, which specialises in share plates, and
The Beach Hut cafe for takeaway.

“The foodies have moved in,” says Burridge. “Mollymook has always had a really strong name, it’s been popular forever, but Rick Stein probably made it more recognisable.”

A quiet space

“It’s a small town with a small town community… We work hard to be supportive.” Photo: Robyne Bamford

Leslight says he still fields plenty of inquiries from Sydney and Canberra sea-changers who come for the climate, the beaches and the clean environment.

Mollymook is a firm favourite with retirees, with people aged 65 and above making up just over 30 per cent of a population of about 1100.

Burridge says she’s noticed a lot of people in their mid-20s coming back to Mollymook to start their families after a stint travelling or living in the city. “I met a lot of lovely people when I had my kids,” she says.

“It’s a small town with a small town community and most people know everyone and look out for each other. We work hard to be supportive and inclusive.”

Top home in the area

165 Burleigh Way, Mollymook NSW.

Designed by award-winning architects Allen Jack+Cottier, this modernist home sits on a 7673-square-metre block fronting Collers Beach.

The property has tree-framed views over the water from most rooms and from the terrace, which meets lawns rolling down to the sand.